Dear Mom and Dad,
It's been an interesting week in New Orleans. In stark contrast to the national scene (where politicians are going after CEOS), we have a former CEO, now our new mayor, going after corrupt politicians. If it wasn't so blasted hot here, the citizens would be dancing in the streets. Even the doubters found it hard to doubt the evidence when the mayor allowed his own cousin to be arrested. I don't think that's ever happened in New Orleans.
He's fired people, arrested people and vows not to stop until the city is being run in an honest and efficient manner. Can you beat that? I wish our president would bring him on board to find that 1.4 billion dollars the Congress lost last year. I can't imagine any CEO in any company that is more inept than them at keeping track of our tax dollars.
Members of the former administration are starting to sweat and protest--and its not because of the heat! Our former mayor claims he knew nothing about any corruption. He must be the only person in the world (and quite possibly out of it) who didn't know New Orleans was rampantly corrupt. He's in a tough spot. His options are: to look rampantly stupid for not knowing, rampantly negligent for knowing and not doing anything about it, or rampantly corrupt for knowing about it and eating from the trough.
One radio station ran a poll about the above options and the results had to be disheartening for the mayor who tried and failed to get a third term. Almost everyone figures he knew and participated. The good news is, not that many think he was stupid.
The former mayor's top administrator is now sitting on the council--and was sitting on a report condemning the department that was supposed to be investigating any reports of corruption (called OMI if you're dying to know). I can see why he didn't want to release the report. He and the mayor had been using it for cover by claiming they'd sent all reports of corruption to OMI for investigation. If they knew it didn't work, why did they bother--unless it was to sweep things under the rug? the councilman is also taking fire for editing the few reports that did manage to trickle out of OMI. He claims he only edited out "opinion."
It's my "opinion" he should have confined himself to administrating and left editing to actual editors.
Both men are claiming it's "political payback," but I suspect it won't be long before we're once again debating the meaning of the word "is."
For now the rejoicing for our new "Ray (Nagin) of hope" is tempered only by the fear that one of the hogs at the public trough might try to bring night back to the Big Easy. If they did manage it, I'm betting public lynchings would suddenly be in vogue. We lowly voters love our Ray!
love,
pj
© 2002 Pauline Baird Jones